Comments on: Saving a classic 1950s Arby's sign

By: Jack Kobzeff

Jack Kobzeff — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 07:30:00 +0000

Actually, if you are talking about the Arbys on Garey, it has closed and the sign is gone.

Same for the (ex) Arbys in Azusa, sign and restaurant gone.

Also a few old 60′s style Taco Bells are closing.

By: John Voegtlin

John Voegtlin — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 19:59:00 +0000

http://www.flickr.com/groups/340668@N21/
There’s a flickr group dedicated to these :)

By: Dean Miller

Dean Miller — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 18:40:00 +0000

Gainesville, FL (Go Gators!)
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=arby%27s+near+Gainesville,+FL&hl=en&ll=29.637933,-82.327595&spn=0.000298,0.109692&sll=37.6,-95.665&sspn=31.642965,44.384766&oq=arby%27s+gaine&hq=arby%27s&hnear=Gainesville,+Alachua,+Florida&t=m&z=13&layer=c&cbll=29.63788,-82.339164&panoid=kXuOXblT4aNmptLqKG2OmQ&cbp=12,188.88,,1,-9.54

By: Daniel Lares

Daniel Lares — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 16:30:00 +0000

El Paso, TX has one on Montana Avenue

By: Eli Fleming

Eli Fleming — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 03:38:00 +0000

American Roast Beef Yes Sir

At least according to my Grandpa (rest in peace).

By: Halloween_Jack

Halloween_Jack — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 02:17:00 +0000

Yeah, that’s more 70s, I think–the one in Chicago near the high school I went to had one. Even then, I knew that there was better roast beef to be had at a deli, but Arby’s was more convenient for lunch. We’d try to gross each other out by claiming that one of the primary components of Horsey Sauce was horse semen, but then we’d eat it ourselves.

By: Gilbert Wham

Gilbert Wham — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 23:51:00 +0000

I’m from the other side of the world, and, well, if I saw that, I’d be inclined to believe it.

By: bcsizemo

bcsizemo — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 23:24:00 +0000

Winston-Salem, NC checking in:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=500+strafford+road,+winston-salem,+nc&hl=en&ll=36.089086,-80.286423&spn=0.006789,0.010933&sll=36.089237,-80.286794&layer=c&cbp=13,184.94,,0,0.03&cbll=36.089118,-80.28638&hnear=500+S+Stratford+Rd,+Winston+Salem,+Forsyth,+North+Carolina+27103&t=h&panoid=nLnHiAHwI8Xx7DolaBA_pw&z=17

Also we have the original Krispy Kreme:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=600+strafford+road,+winston-salem,+nc&hl=en&ll=36.092234,-80.280801&spn=0.006788,0.010933&sll=36.089182,-80.286283&sspn=0.006823,0.010933&t=h&hnear=600+S+Stratford+Rd,+Winston+Salem,+Forsyth,+North+Carolina+27103&z=17&layer=c&cbll=36.092159,-80.28088&panoid=heYJe8amaShtn-2hOtrkzA&cbp=13,130.07,,0,0

By: serpentineminer

serpentineminer — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 23:00:00 +0000

There’s one of these in Kent, Ohio as well. Since we’re, y’know, listing and stuff.

By: linusolas

linusolas — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 22:52:00 +0000

Not to make a big deal out of something that is not a big deal in the first place, but that sign is more than likely from the 70′s (if not, at least late 60′s) and is definitely not from the 50′s as Arby’s was not founded until 1964 with expansion happening to more remote areas like Finneytown in the 1970′s.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arby%27s

By: retrojoe

retrojoe — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 22:41:00 +0000

These are, apparently, still common. I drive by the one in Cudahy, WI (south of Milwaukee) on my way to and from work. Hank Aaron owns it.

By: Donald Petersen

Donald Petersen — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 22:37:00 +0000

That’s a pretty awesome repurposing of that sign. Many of the Pizza Hut Carryout locations in Los Angeles used to be Winchell’s Donuts. The size of the joint was always about perfect, and they often came with a Hobart dough mixer as well. You can identify these ones by the rounded triangular sign out front, though a rounded triangle isn’t a particularly unique or evocative shape for a donut parlor to use. Not like a giant cowboy hat, anyway.

By: Donald Petersen

Donald Petersen — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 22:23:00 +0000

Well, the Arby’s joints themselves aren’t as common as I’d like, but the one at 5920 Sunset Blvd at Tamarind in Hollywood still has its big hat sign. And the restaurant itself seems pretty old. It’s shaped like a Quonset hut on the inside (semicylindrical ceiling, anyway), and the drive-thru has an unusual layout.

By: Ito Kagehisa

Ito Kagehisa — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 22:18:00 +0000

Those things are about as rare as round tires (tyres for you Brits).

By: Thorzdad

Thorzdad — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 22:04:00 +0000

The Arby’s here in Muncie still has their big-hat sign, too. Plus, one of our McDonald’s still has this: http://goo.gl/maps/2vqQE

By: dejoh

dejoh — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 22:03:00 +0000

They used to slice hunks of real roast beef to make their sandwiches in the 60-70′s. Now its still okay, but a different process of roast beef. Used to have one in Chicago Heights, Il. The sign is history.

By: Gyrofrog

Gyrofrog — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 21:48:00 +0000

You mean the former Arby’s on Burnet? That’s my old neighborhood! I was in town over the holidays and glad to see that more than a few landmarks remained, incl. the Arby’s sign. The big “Fox Photo” neon fox was gone, though… (now a “Savers”) Also the smilin’ toilets at 5518 Burnet are gone.

By: John Vance

John Vance — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 21:25:00 +0000

Minneapolis checking in, there’s one in Uptown as well.

By: cleek

cleek — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 21:21:00 +0000

Raleigh, NC

By: .

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 21:20:00 +0000

I could tell it was a hat back then. The new sign/logo though, more like a weenis.

By: Richard Allgood

Richard Allgood — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 20:54:00 +0000

There’s one in Athens, GA too…

By: Brainspore

Brainspore — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 20:38:00 +0000

There’s one of those in Pomona, California too. I had no idea it was historic.

It was a fun treat to eat there as a kid, but to be honest I haven’t found their food very palatable for many years now. Not sure if that’s because the food changed or I did.

By: bigattichouse

bigattichouse — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 20:33:00 +0000

Peoria, IL

By: nixiebunny

nixiebunny — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 20:23:00 +0000

We used to have one in Tucson, a couple blocks from our house. It or one like it was transplanted to the local county fairgrounds.

By: Nixols

Nixols — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 20:14:00 +0000

Arby’s planned to donate the vintage sign in Santa Monica, CA to the American Sign Museum, but is has since disappeared.

http://www.lamag.com/citythink/askchris/2013/01/28/the-mystery-of-the-missing-giant-neon-hat

By: esquire

esquire — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 20:07:00 +0000

I grew up down the road from a sign like that (Bloomington, IN) and I always thought (in my kid logic) that it was supposed to be a hot dog on the bottom and then I could never figure out what the top was supposed to be. Mountains? Just a background for the words? I could not figure it out until one day it was like “oh! a cowboy hat….. why a cowboy hat??”

By: SummerFang

SummerFang — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 19:58:00 +0000

Cool! One Salt Lake City’s Arby’s has this sign too!

https://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&cid=14629517141648325208&q=Arby%27s&iwloc=A&gl=US&hl=en

By: Sean Nelson

Sean Nelson — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 19:48:00 +0000

We have at least one in Green Bay, WI. I could take it or leave it.

By: tubesorsand

tubesorsand — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 19:42:00 +0000

I can’t say enough good things about the American Sign Museum! Todd and his crew of dedicated folks and volunteers have done an incredible job in undertaking the process to create a tangible, historical record of signs & signmaking. I wish I still lived in the area, as they’ve moved to a new, larger location and I’ve heard it’s spectacular! If you’re within driving range of Cinci, it’s well worth your time to drive over, grab some Skyline Chili, and then go spend an afternoon or two (or more) visiting the museum. It’s a national treasure and it’s great to see it get some more exposure!!!

By: Clayton McCord

Clayton McCord — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 19:38:00 +0000

There is still at least one of those signs in MI as well.
http://goo.gl/maps/XCLKN